Donna Vekić
Donna Vekić, born on June 28, 1996, is a professional tennis player from Croatia. In November 2019, she reached her highest singles ranking of No. 19 in the world according to the WTA. Her best result in a Grand Slam event came when she made it to the semifinals at Wimbledon in 2024. Additionally, she earned a silver medal in singles at the 2024 Olympics. Throughout her career, Vekić has claimed four singles titles on the WTA Tour, winning at the Malaysian Open in 2014, the Nottingham Open in 2017, the Courmayeur Ladies Open in 2021, and the Monterrey Open in 2023. She has also secured five singles titles and one doubles title on the ITF Circuit.
Early life
Vekić was born in Osijek to her dad, Igor, and her mom, Brankica. Her dad used to be a goalkeeper for NK Osijek. She also has a brother named Bruno. She started playing tennis when she was just six years old and began training at the IMG Academy when she turned nine.
Professional Career
2012: First WTA Tour Final
Donna Vekić made her first appearance in a WTA Tour final at the Tashkent Open, becoming the youngest player in six years to reach such a final, though she lost to Irina-Camelia Begu in straight sets. She also represented Croatia in the Fed Cup, contributing to a win over Bosnia and Herzegovina.
2013: Top 100 Debut
Vekić debuted in the main draw of the Australian Open, winning her first-round match before losing to Caroline Wozniacki. She reached the main draw of the Miami Open and won a $50k tournament in Istanbul, ending the year ranked No. 86, marking her first top-100 season.
2014: First WTA Title
Vekić won her first WTA title at the Malaysian Open by defeating top seed Dominika Cibulková in the final. She had notable performances at other tournaments, including upsetting Svetlana Kuznetsova at the Miami Open and beating Garbiñe Muguruza at the Monterrey Open. However, she faced several early exits in other tournaments, including first-round losses at the Australian Open, French Open, and US Open.
2015: Fourth WTA Tour Final
Donna Vekić began 2015 ranked No. 81 but struggled early, seeing her ranking fall to No. 177. She managed a few wins, including her first top-40 victory of the season at the French Open, defeating Caroline Garcia. She reached the final in Tashkent but lost to Nao Hibino, finishing the year ranked No. 105.
2016: Fifth ITF Title
Starting 2016 ranked No. 103, Vekić had a tough year, failing to win a match in ten consecutive WTA tournaments. She reached the final at the ITF Saint Petersburg and won her fifth ITF title at the Soho Square Tournament, ending the season ranked No. 101.
2017: Second WTA Title
Vekić won her second WTA title at the Nottingham Open, defeating Johanna Konta. She reached the third round at the US Open and broke into the top 50, finishing the year ranked No. 56.
2018: Top 50 Year-End Ranking
Vekić reached the fourth round at Wimbledon for the first time and made the final at the Washington Open, ending the season ranked No. 34.
2019: US Open Quarterfinal, Top 20 Finish
Vekić had a breakthrough year in 2019, reaching the semifinals in Brisbane and her first Premier-level final in St. Petersburg. She made her first Grand Slam quarterfinal at the US Open and finished the year ranked No. 19.
2020: Drop from Top 20
Vekić had a mixed 2020, highlighted by wins at the Australian Open but overall inconsistent performances, dropping out of the top 20.
2021: Surgery and WTA 250 Title
Despite knee surgery, Vekić reached the fourth round of the Australian Open and won her third WTA title at the Courmayeur Open, returning to the top 70.
2022: WTA 500 Final and Top 50 Return
After a two-month hiatus, Vekić reached the final at the San Diego Open and re-entered the top 50, finishing the season ranked No. 47.
2023: Monterrey Open Title and Australian Open Quarterfinal
Vekić won her fourth career title at the Monterrey Open and reached her first Australian Open quarterfinal, re-entering the top 25.
2024: Wimbledon Semifinal and Olympic Silver Medal
Vekić reached her first Grand Slam semifinal at Wimbledon and became the first Croatian woman to reach the medal stage at the Olympics, winning silver in Paris.
Vekić’s personal life
Vekić’s personal life includes a relationship with tennis player Stan Wawrinka that lasted from 2015 until 2019. In 2021, she launched a luxury home fragrance brand called DNNA, which offers beeswax candles and reed diffusers. She committed to donating a portion of her sales to support bee conservation efforts in Croatia. Additionally, between 2021 and 2024, she established three public tennis courts in her hometown of Osijek, each designed to resemble Grand Slam tournament venues.